Thursday, December 21, 2017

The winter
holiday season is a wonderful time for celebration and appreciation of the
people around us. I would like to thank our staff, students and families
for their work, support and commitment to learning in Manchester. I am proud of
your many accomplishments, and look forward to the new year ahead. Indeed, you
are impacting on our children’s lives every day.

This also is
the time of year for giving back and taking care of members of our community
who need an extra hand. Thank you to all of our schools and community partners
that hosted and contributed to food drives, toy drives, winter coat drives and
other fundraisers to ensure that our children and their families experience the spirit of the season.

Monday, December 18, 2017

The Manchester School District is always looking for ways
to encourage students to read outside the classroom. During the winter holiday
vacation from school, your children might have some extra down time perfect for
picking up a book. We are excited to tell you about a new Winter Reading
Program for preschool, elementary and middle school students that we’ve created in
partnership with the Manchester City Library.

Middle school students received a reading challenge form at
school which asks them to read at least one book and write a brief review.
Students can also rate the book. On the back of the form is a list of several
popular titles. Students are welcome to choose one of those suggestions or any
another book that interests them. If you need other ideas or something new,
please visit the city library for inspiration and borrow one!

The Winter Reading Program will run during the holiday
break, December 23-January 2. Once your
child has completed his or her reading record, it can be dropped off at
Manchester City Library locations or at school libraries up until January 10.
Each student who submits a reading record will receive a reading incentive
prize from a local business.

Thank you in advance for your support and participation in
the Winter Reading Program. We hope that you and your family enjoy the holiday
break.

Monday, November 27, 2017

The Manchester School District is committed to effective communication between our schools and families. As part of our efforts, we are using an automated notification system called SchoolMessenger. This system allows us to call, text and email thousands of parents and guardians quickly for emergency situations and weather-related school closures.

SchoolMessenger is dependent on the accuracy of the contact information you provide. It is important to keep all of your phone numbers and email addresses up-to-date. Any adjustments to your contact information can be made any time, directly to your child(ren)’s school(s). SchoolMessenger continually syncs with our contacts on file; all new phone numbers and email addresses will be included in notifications after they are added.

When you answer a phone call from SchoolMessenger, you will hear a recorded message.

The caller ID will be Manchester School District's main number: (603) 624-6300.

If you are unavailable to answer the phone, SchoolMessenger will leave a voicemail. Please listen to the entire message.

Do not call the school or the school district office. If it is an emergency notification, the message will include instructions.

If SchoolMessenger encounters a busy signal, no answer or a failed call (such as a disconnected number or downed lines), the system will retry that number three times in 15-minute increments.

If you have provided a cell phone number as one or more of your contact numbers, that phone number is eligible to receive text messages in addition to the phone call. SchoolMessenger is a free service, but you must opt in to receive text notifications, because standard message and data rates charged by your mobile provider may apply.

If your cell phone number is in our database as an emergency contact number, you may request text notifications from SchoolMessenger by texting YES to 67587.

If your cell phone number is in our database and you have not already opted in from your device, SchoolMessenger will send you a text on Friday, December 1 at 10:00 am.

To OPT-IN, respond to the text from 67587 with either Y or YES.

To OPT-OUT, respond to the text from 67587 with STOP or ignore the text.

If you decline to receive text messages, you will receive only phone call notifications from SchoolMessenger to your cell phone. Any new cell phone number that is added to our SchoolMessenger contacts database will automatically receive the opt-in text, even after December 1.

SchoolMessenger is one more valuable communication tool and does not replace any of the Manchester School District’s current methods of communicating. We will continue to report critical information -- including school closings due to weather -- on radio and TV stations, on the MSD web site, our social media pages, and through Nixle.

Friday, November 17, 2017

The City of Manchester Parks and Recreation Department, Manchester Health Department, and the
Gossler Park Elementary School are excited to announce that the new Gossler Park School’sNeighborhood Playground has finally become a reality. As part of the Manchester Community Schools Project and the Manchester Neighborhood Health Improvement Strategy, the Manchester Health Department started working on this project several years ago in partnership with the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission who crafted a health impact assessment. The assessment, which was funded by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, aims to redesign the Gossler Park School campus to support health, recreation, and safety.

Subsequently, to support the campus redesign, the Health Department received an anonymous donation of $35,000 that was also funded through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. This donation was further matched by funding from the Manchester School District, and an additional $15,000 was awarded by the Cogswell Benevolent Trust. With this funding in place, the plans began to take shape.

The Health Department then partnered with the Parks, Recreation & Cemeteries Department. Through this collaboration, the playground project was selected to receive a $35,000 play space grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company. Known as the Meet Me at the Park initiative, this investment supports NRPA and Disney’s combined goal of
providing one million kids and families with greater access to play.

“NRPA is proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company to help more children and families experience the benefits of play,” said Kellie May, NRPA director of health and wellness. “By increasing access to play spaces, this program will also provide new activities that support healthy lifestyles in local communities.”

The new playground includes many innovative play structures designed specifically for inclusion and a broad range of ages from early childhood to upper elementary.

“We were looking for a few signature pieces where all kids could be excited about playing on the playground,” said Don Pinard, Chief of Parks.

“We are extremely grateful for the generous donations that have made this project possible,” said Lori
Upham, principal of Gossler Park Elementary School. “The children and families of the neighborhood deserve a safe place that supports play for everyone, and as a Community School, Gossler Park is excited to be known as a neighborhood destination for all families.”

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Eating breakfast can have a positive impact on a student’s success in school. New Hampshire is one of ten states in the country with the lowest participation in the National School Breakfast Program. Please Join the Manchester School District Wellness Council and help make sure all kids get a strong start to their day and a solid academic foundation.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

High school students in the Agnes Lindsay STEM Fellowship Program through UNH Manchester are getting a chance to see what the STEM fields have to offer, while receiving high school credits toward graduation.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

The naval ship USS
Manchester, named after New Hampshire’s largest city, will officially be
commissioned next April. In preparation, some of the crew of the navy’s newest Littoral
Combat Ship (LCS-14), visited the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp
(NJROTC) program at West High School.

NJROTC cadets, under the
leadership of Captain Arthur Stauff and Master Gunnery Sergeant Ronald Slagle, gave a presentation on their unit. During the school-wide assembly, West High School students showcased a history of Manchester and of the school.
Performances by the West High School band added to the event’s pomp and
circumstance.

This is the second ship in
the U.S. Navy to be named after Manchester, New Hampshire. The first USS
Manchester, a light cruiser that primarily operated in the Pacific during the
Korean War, was commissioned in 1946. It was decommissioned in 1956.